Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are currently taking part in training camp in preparation for the upcoming 2024-25 NFL season, which is set to begin in September. Prescott finished last year as an MVP candidate but once again fizzled out in the postseason, putting the pressure on the Cowboys star to finally break through this season, especially as his future contract prospects are currently in some doubt.

Prescott has been a target of heavy criticism from fans, the media, and other players alike, and recently, former NFL Super Bowl Champion LeSean McCoy leveled some harsh words in the former Mississippi State Bulldog's direction.

“I don’t think he’s tough enough,” said McCoy, via the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams, presented by FanDuel. “When everybody’s playing at an elite level, it’s the playoffs, small margin for error, we need our best to be the best. Andy Reid always says in big games, ‘I need my best players to out perform their best players’ and Dak in the playoffs he doesn’t do that, he freezes up. I don’t want to say it’s lack of heart but sometimes he displays like he doesn’t have that dawg in him. Some players do, some players don’t.”

“Having that dawg” is obviously a non-quantifiable cliche that is often overused in sports media circles, but there is something to be said about the ability to step up in the game's biggest moments, which Prescott hasn't been able to do very consistently thus far in his career.

Can the Cowboys finally break through?

allas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas.
Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
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Despite all of the discourse surrounding both Prescott and the Cowboys as a whole, they should still be well-positioned to at least compete for NFL supremacy this upcoming season. The NFC is still objectively the weaker conference, even if teams like the Philadelphia Eagles are expected to bounce back from rough 2023-24 campaigns.

However, there's also a strong chance that the Cowboys themselves could be better, especially considering that star cornerback Trevon Diggs will be back after missing most of last season with an ACL injury sustained vs the Arizona Cardinals.

Of course, at the end of the day, it's all going to come back to Prescott and how well he is able to perform under the bright lights of the NFL playoffs. So far in his career, his playoff output has not lined up with his regular season production, and if that trend continues this year, it's certainly fair to pose the question if it would be in the Cowboys' best interest to move on from him.